The Cat's Out of the Bag
by DizzyDrea
Summary: Sam finally figures out what's been going on between Callen and Nell. Part 9 of Scenes From an Accidental Courtship.


Title: The Cat's Out of the Bag  
Author: DizzyDrea  
Summary: Sam finally figures out what's been going on between Callen and Nell.  
Rating: T  
Spoilers: Paper Soldiers  
Author's Notes: Okay, so I love having Nate back at OSP. I couldn't figure out a way to insert him into this fic, but it was entirely inspired by the conversation Nate and Callen had about asking a girl out. And I figured that at some point, Sam had to figure out what was going on.  
Disclaimer: NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles and all its particulars are the property of CBS, Paramount, Donald P. Bellisario, Belisarius Productions, Shane Brennan, Shane Brennan Productions, and a lot of other people who aren't me. I am doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

"I get what you did back there," Sam Hanna said as they drove away from HQ. "Very slick."

"What?" Callen asked. He spared a glance at Sam before returning his eyes to the road.

"With Nate. Nice misdirect."

Sam was smiling, that all-knowing smile that always made Callen a little nervous.

"So I didn't want to talk to Nate about my non-existent love life," Callen said, shrugging. "So sue me."

Silence fell in the car as they made their way across town. Every once in a while, Callen would cut his glance to Sam, who was still wearing that smug, knowing grin. Alarm bells were going off in Callen's head, even as he tried to play it cool. It wasn't that he was worried, per se, just that a man like G Callen didn't survive in this world without a healthy dose of paranoia.

"I know, you know," Sam said, breaking the silence.

"You know what?"

"Come on, G. Don't play coy with me," Sam said. "I know."

"What is it you think you know?" Callen asked.

Sam rolled his eyes. "About you and Nell. And don't bother denying it. I know."

"And just how did you come to this conclusion?"

"I'm a trained investigator and a Navy SEAL," Sam scoffed. "How do you think?"

"Funny," Callen said.

It wasn't that he didn't want Sam to know. He'd thought about telling his closest friend on more than one occasion, but the timing never seemed right. Just blurting out _Hey, I've got a girlfriend_ seemed a little Junior High. Plus, he didn't want Sam upset because he hadn't been the first one they'd told.

"So?"

Callen glanced at Sam. "So, what?"

Again, Sam rolled his eyes. "You know, getting anything out of you is like getting blood out of a turnip."

"Are you calling me a turnip?" Callen asked. "Because I don't think there are any vegetables in my family tree. That I know of."

"Yes, G, you are a turnip," Sam said.

Callen smirked at the exasperated tone in his voice. He was, after all, a master of deflection.

"And you still haven't answered my question."

So much for deflection.

"What question is that?" Callen asked. "Because so far, I don't remember you asking any questions."

Sam angled his body in the passenger seat and speared his friend with a look that meant all business as he ticked off the questions on his fingers. "When did you and Nell start seeing each other? Is it serious? When were you going to tell me?"

That last one might have been the crux of the whole issue. He'd known it was a risk, not telling Sam, but he'd hoped Sam would understand. At least he wasn't the last one to know. That he knew of, anyway, because heaven only knew what Hetty knew and hadn't revealed yet.

Callen sighed. He didn't want to have this conversation in the car, but it looked like he had no choice.

"Strictly speaking, we haven't told anybody," he said.

"Why not?" Sam asked. There was more curiosity than hostility in his tone, giving Callen hope that he'd come out of this only slightly bruised.

"Nell didn't want to face the teasing or the gossip," Callen said. "And you know there'd be plenty of both. OSP is a small community with a big gossip problem."

Sam snorted. "Tell me about it."

"So, we kept quiet. Doesn't mean I was ashamed of what we have."

"I get it, I do," Sam said. "But we're friends, G. You could have told me."

"Honestly, it's been a lot more fun waiting for people to figure it out," Callen said with a cheeky grin.

"Now you're just messing with me," Sam said. He chuckled, shaking his head.

Callen let out the breath he'd been holding. If Sam could make a joke, then he wasn't really mad. And more than anyone, Sam understood why Callen kept the secrets he did, and didn't fault him for it.

"So?"

"What?" Callen asked, frowning.

Sam rolled his eyes. Again. "Details, G. I want details."

Callen paused, debating just how much he wanted to tell Sam. In the end, he opted to just go for broke. Sam would get the whole story out of him sooner or later. Might as well do it on his own terms.

"She's the one that gave me the Tolstoy book."

"She did?" Sam asked. "How'd she know?"

"That I speak and read Russian? It's in my file," Callen said. "That I'd read that book as a kid? No idea."

"She didn't tell you?"

"I haven't asked. Didn't seem important."

"So, wait, you've been seeing each other since Christmas and I'm only now hearing about it?"

Callen shook his head. "Not really."

"Not really," Sam repeated. "What do you mean, 'not really'?"

"I mean, we haven't been seeing each other since Christmas," Callen said. "We've been... moving slowly. Technically, our first date was in October, around the time we were chasing down the Russian sleeper agents."

"That bedhead!" Sam exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I knew that bullshit answer she gave Eric couldn't possibly be right."

"You bought it," Callen pointed out.

"Yeah, doesn't mean I wasn't suspicious. But nine months?" Sam asked. "What took you so long?"

Callen shrugged. "Don't know. We're kind of doing things out of order. You know, first kiss before first date."

Sam shook his head. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"

They lapsed into silence again as they pulled into the parking lot. Callen was under no illusions that this was the last he'd hear from Sam on the subject of him and Nell, but at least it was all out in the open now. Callen made to get out of the car, but Sam's hand on his arm stopped him. He turned, raising his eyebrow in a silent question.

"Thanks for telling me, G," Sam said. "Just be good to her; she's a sweet girl."

"Are you giving me the 'you hurt her, I hurt you' speech?" Callen asked, surprised.

"No, I'm giving you the 'you're both my friends and I just want you to be happy' speech."

"I am," Callen said, smiling softly. "We are."

"That's all I need," Sam said, grinning from ear to ear. "Just be prepared. My wife's gonna want to have you two over for dinner."

He got out of the car, leaving Callen pondering how his life had just changed. It wasn't that he didn't love Nell, just that it seemed more real somehow, now that Sam knew. Smiling, he shook his head. Nell would die of laughter if she could hear his thoughts right now. He climbed out of the car and joined Sam as they made their way into the building.

He'd have to tell Nell about their conversation at some point. It had become something of a game between the two of them, trying to figure out who'd be the next person to find out about them. He'd put his money on Sam, and he was looking forward to collecting on that bet.

~o~

When they got back to OSP, Callen and Sam strode into Ops to find Nell and Eric working away. Callen saw Sam smile and wink at Nell. When Nell frowned at him, he laid a finger to his nose. Nell's eyes darted to Callen, who simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. She smirked at him, shaking her head.

Sam chuckled as Eric glanced between the three of them. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

"Someday, Eric," Sam said, slapping the younger man on the back of the shoulder. Eric stumbled slightly under the weight of the assault. "When you're older."

"Right," Eric said, rotating his shoulder and wincing slightly. "Well, then. Here's what we've got."

Callen let the conversation flow around him as he watched Nell in her natural environment. When she looked over at him, he winked at her, drawing a smile from her that was at once sweet and saucy. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he turned his thoughts away from what that smile always did to him and back to their current case.

He hadn't lied to Sam; he was the happiest he'd ever been. And now that his closest friend knew the truth, he felt like he could finally enjoy it.

~Finis


End file.
